瘟疫肆虐的草原土拨鼠，对科罗拉多的游客构成威胁

瘟疫肆虐的草原土拨鼠，对科罗拉多的游客构成威胁

Officials at a Colorado wildlife refuge are cautiously moving forward with a plan to reopen parts of their facility this week in the wake of a plague outbreak amongst prairie dogs in the area. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was shut down after plague-infected prairie dogs were found weeks ago, and parts of the refuge will remain closed to visitors even as the location reopens its doors to the public.

科罗拉多州一家野生动物保护区的官员正在谨慎地推进一项计划，该计划将于本周重新开放该保护区的部分设施。此前，该地区草原犬鼠中爆发了一场瘟疫。落落基山脉阿森纳国家野生动物保护区，数周前发现感染了鼠疫的草原土拨鼠后被关闭，即使该保护区重新向公众开放，部分保护区仍将对游客关闭。

The refuge, which spans nearly 16,000 acres, is typically open for tourists to come and enjoy the natural splendor, but that changed in late July when park officials decided to lock the doors as they dealt with the plague-ridden animals.

该保护区占地近1.6万英亩，通常对游客开放，让他们来这里享受自然美景，但在7月下旬，情况发生了变化，公园官员决定在处理这种受瘟疫困扰的动物时把门锁上。

The spread of the plague-causing bacteria is linked to fleas, and as those fleas spread from animal to animal, the plague’s reach widens. It’s even possible, health officials warn, that the fleas can jump to pets and even humans, posing a significant health concern for visitors.

引起鼠疫的细菌的传播与跳蚤有关，随着跳蚤在动物之间传播，鼠疫的传播范围扩大。卫生官员警告说，跳蚤甚至可能跳到宠物身上，甚至人类身上，这对游客构成了严重的健康威胁。

AP

The refuge is now once again accepting visitors but some areas are still off-limits. In a bulletin posted on its website, the refuge explains that the closed areas will be clearly marked, and are expected to be cleared for visitors again sometime early in September, though no firm date was offered.

该保护区现在再次接纳游客，但一些地区仍然是禁区。该保护区在其网站上发布的公告中解释说，这些封闭区域将被清楚地标示出来，预计将在9月初的某个时候再次对游客开放，不过没有给出具体日期。

While the refuge says that “conditions at the refuge support reopening to the public,” officials still recommend avoiding all areas inhabited by prairie dogs. It’s also advised that all visitors avoid physical contact with any prairie dogs or rodents in the refuge, and strictly prohibits feeding or playing with any of the potentially infected animals.

虽然保护区说“保护区的条件支持向公众重新开放”，但官员们仍然建议避开所有草原土拨鼠居住的地区。此外，所有游客应避免与保护区内的草原土拨鼠或啮齿动物有身体接触，并严格禁止喂食或与任何可能受感染的动物玩耍。

In its bulletin, the refuge also recommends using a repellent if you plan on visiting the area, such as those containing DEET, which tends to do a good job of keeping bugs such as fleas from latching on.

该保护区在公告中还建议，如果你打算去该地区游览，可以使用驱蚊剂，比如含有避蚊胺的驱蚊剂，避蚊胺能很好地防止跳蚤等虫子叮咬。